Why is Malaysia sending back Rohingya refugees to Myanmar?
Kuala Lumpur calls it a voluntary process, but many are raising safety concerns.

Kuala Lumpur calls it a voluntary process, but many are raising safety concerns.







![A helicopter conducts water bombing to extinguish a fire at the Putri Cempo landfill in Solo, Central Java, on September 4, 2026. [Photo by DEVI RAHMAN / AFP]](https://aljazeeranews.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-1788543450.jpg?resize=770%2C433&quality=80)

First phase of Malaysia’s repatriation plan will involve Myanmar nationals who are ‘willing to return voluntarily’.
Sabri, 66, pleaded not guilty to allegedly failing to provide a complete declaration of assets.
Malaysian leader’s comments on the island have prompted discussion about whether the country is leaning towards China.
Fires between January and July burned more than 200,000 hectares of land, says the government.
Al-Ahli and Al Ain, who will also face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, are the pick of the match-ups in AFC’s Elite draw.

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim joins Sreenivasan Jain on justice, trade, and a middle power holding superpowers to account.
Qatar FA President Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani complains about lack of consultation about AFC open letter to FIFA.
Malaysia’s government says Anwar, 79, is undergoing medical examinations and a procedure advised by his specialists.
Authorities are screening 5,000 refugees as rights groups warn they remain at risk of persecution in Myanmar.
FIFA face global mutiny as Asian Football Confederation stand with Europe and North America after their boycott threats.